Advance Review—The Noble Houses of Westeros: Seasons 1-5

This month, Running Press will be releasing Game of Thrones: The Noble Houses of Westeros: Seasons 1-5, a fully illustrated guide to the great Houses on Game of Thrones. We have an advance look.

First off, this is a beautiful book, and would look great on any Game of Thrones fan’s bookshelf. Holding a flashily-bound hardcover compendium of Game of Thrones information just feels satisfying, and Running Press has made sure the production is suitably glossy, with a textured cover featuring dozens of slightly inset House sigils and lots of gorgeous production photographs throughout.

In fact, the photographs may be the main draw here. Not only does the book feature lovely full-color production photos, but also detailed family trees…

…and displays of the costumes and weapons used on the show.

The props and costume departments on Game of Thrones have been justly lauded over the years, and it’s fun to flip through the book and see their hard work displayed in all its detail. Sometimes, surprises crop up. For example, I never noticed that Roose Bolton’s sword has this awesome flayed man handle.

That’s suitably gruesome, and another indication of the production’s attention to the little things.

The Noble Houses of Westeros features plenty of to read about, too. The history of every House is described, and every character is profiled. Mostly, it’s stuff that Game of Thrones fans would know (well, stuff that obsessed Game of Thrones fans would know), but there are some interesting nuggets in there. For example:

• As has been pointed out elsewhere, this book confirms that Stannis Baratheon did indeed die at the end of Season 5. The book puts it plainly. “Brienne killed Stannis,” and later, “Stannis was killed outside Winterfell by Brienne of Tarth.”
• While we’re clearing up ambiguous deaths, I know there are some fans who wonder if Myrcella survived her poisoning in “Mother’s Mercy.” Here’s how the book puts it: “Mrycella died in the arms of Jaime Lannister, whom she acknowledged as her father before her death.”
• The book confirms that the “handsome young man” Littlefinger told Olenna about in “The Gift” was indeed Lancel Lannister, and that the Queen of Thorns then “used the information [about Lancel’s incestuous affair with Cersei] to force Lancel to confess his sins to the High Sparrow, who then had Cersei imprisoned.” Why Lancel hadn’t confessed on his own, I have no idea, but that clears that up.
• A few notes on the Lannister family tree:
  • Trystane Martell is indeed listed as being a member of the Small Council, so it seems that’s happening despite the little mishap on Jaime’s return trip from Dorne.
  • Also, Ilyn Payne has a crest where he should have a picture, which seems to be the book’s way of noting when a character has died. Payne is alive in the books, although actor Wilco Johnson’s health problems have prevented him from making any appearances on the show since Season 2. Still, Tywin mentioned Payne in “The Children” right before Tyrion shot him dead, so it’s assumed he’s still around. I, for one, would love to see the character again.
• “It is rumored that the skins of several ancient Starks still hang in the dungeons of the Dreadfort.” It is? Gross.
• The book singles out Sunspear as the seat of House Martell. Fans who thought the producers intended to reduce the entirety of Dorne to the Water Gardens can take comfort from this.

There are lots of other fun bits to stumble across throughout the book, and plenty of pictures to feast the eyes on. If you’re looking for a Christmas present for that special Game of Thrones fan in your life, or just want to give yourself a gift, this is a terrific choice.